Ruby

Ruby Bell is one of the main characters in the novel “Ruby” by Cynthia Bond. As an African-American native of the town of Liberty Township in East Texas, Ruby has had a difficult life at best. From the age of five, Ruby was sexually molested and raped by numerous men. When she was six, she was thrust into prostitution by the Reverend Jennings, under the cover story that Ruby was going to work as a domestic servant for a wealthy white woman. Ruby is forced to return to work as a prostitute over and over again through the age of fourteen, when she became pregnant and gave birth to a stillborn baby.

As a child, Ruby spent much of her time away from the brothel with her distant cousin, Maggie. Maggie did her best to protect and care for Ruby, but she was never able to do adequately...